TONY Popovic has declared he's ready to take on the Socceroos coaching role if all the right boxes are ticked first.

Just a year after starting his first head coaching role at Western Sydney the 40-year-old, along with fellow A-League mentors Ange Postecoglou and Graham Arnold, is in the running for the top job.

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy this week confirmed the three were the preferred candidates with the governing body set on putting an Australian at the helm following the sacking of German Holger Osieck.

Postecoglou is the favourite to gert the nod.But Popovic said the FFA had been in contact with his club and he was honoured to be in contention.

WS Wanderers trainingSource:DailyTelegraph

"I've spoken to no-one, it was just I think a courtesy call to the club just to tell us that and there's been nothing since," he said.

"It's obviously a great honour to be seen in that way.

"I've always maintained that one day I'd certainly love to coach the Socceroos given that opportunity.

"So if the opportunity comes when the time is right then I'd certainly look into it."

Asked if the time was right now and he was ready to take on the role Popovic was slightly more evasive.

"Well there are a lot of factors that come into deciding when the time is right," he said.

"So if all those boxes get ticked, then yes, if not, then no. "It's not just whether I want it or whether my employer will allow it or whether the FFA wants me, there are many more factors. “So if all those boxes got ticked then the time is right."

Popovic is the youngest and greenest of the trio having only held assistant coaching roles at Sydney FC and Crystal Palace before joining the Wanderers.

But after guiding them to the most remarkable of debut seasons, in which they won the Premier's Plate and made the grand final, he has turned heads at the FFA.

And he maintains he'd be happy to continue on with the club. Meanwhile, former Socceroo and now Melbourne

Heart coach John Aloisi says it's the right move to appoint an Australian to the national coach position.

Aloisi said any of the three could do a "great job"

"The level of coaching in Australia has gone up and it's time for them to get an Australian coach because they understand the mentality here in Australia," he said.

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